Re: Learning resources - Which is more effective?

When I was younger, there were no videos, so as I took lessons, music notation was the only way to get the point across. I learned to really break phrases down and all that.

The first time I saw a video of a snare drummer performing a rudimental piece, what he sounded like and played DID NOT match up with what I was reading. I'll admit it was rather advanced and perhaps it was correct, but I couldn't tell. When I learned how to play what was written, I didn't sound or look anything like the guy in the video.

So, I'm not totally against videos, but sometimes it can be just another way of "learning by ear", or in this case, "eyes", without really understanding what was written in the first place. It's like getting a tape of a song to learn how to play it.

I say, you should learn how to do stuff as they do it in the real world. If I get called for a recording session and they want to send me a DVD of another guy playing what they want me to do, then I'll learn that way. No way in hell that's ever gonna happen, though. So I continue to work the old-fashioned way: music notation and reading. And a real teacher!